Stethoscopic instrument



Feb. 25, 1941. J. J. TYNAN STETHOSCOPIC INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 4, 1938 l3 ,54 flllgflllll/ Patented Feb. 25, 1941 2,233,087

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STETHOSCOPIC' INSTRUMENT James J. Tynan,Milton, Mass. Application August 4, 1938, Serial No. 222,993 2 Claims.(Cl. 181-24) This invention relates to improvements in dle portion ofthe single non-concealed body stethoscopic instruments. piece.

It is well known to practicing physicians that Before explaining indetail the present invenseveral stethoscopes of different forms andsizes tion it is to be understood that the invention is are required forauscultative examination of difnot limited in its application to thedetails of ferent parts of the human body, as well as grownconstructionand arrangement of parts illusup persons and children. Thus, a so-calledbell trated in the accompanying drawing, since the body piece with anopen sound-collecting space invention is capable of other embodimentsand is the most practical for certain examinations, of being practicedor carried out in various Ways. 10 While a so-called diaphragm bodypiece with Also it is to be understood that the phraseology l0 adiaphragm covered sound-collecting space is or terminology employedherein is for the purmore practical for other examinations. Furtherposeof description and not of limitation, and more, the examination of alarge area of the it is not intended to limit the invention claimedhuman body requires a larger body piece than herein beyond therequirements of the prior art. z5 the examination of apices, interspacesand other In the drawing: body parts of small area for which a smallbody Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view of a stethopiece is more practical.Also, some physicians scopic instrument which embodies the present usetwo different forms of stethoscopes for exinvention. amining one and thesame part of the body as, Fie. 2 is a cross-section through the instru-LU for instance, in cardiac examinations where a ment, taken on the line2 2 of Fig. 1. l0 bell body piece registers primarily low-pitched Fig. 3iS a SeCtiOn taken 0n the line 3-3 of murmurs and a diaphragm body pieceregisters Fig. 2.

primarily high-pitched murmurs, In Order t0 be Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the instrument with prepared for all contingencies, mostphysicians al1 the body pieces thereof in assembled relation.

25 have stethoscopes of diierent forms and of dif- Fig. 5 is a view ofthe instrument similar to 25 ferent sizes at their disposal. However, itis the Fig. 4, With One 0f the bOdy pieCeS remOVed. common experience ofthese physicians that they Fig. 6 SllOWS the instrument after all butone cannot readily nnd or reach a particular stetho- 01c the body pieCeShave been IeInOVed. scope because some stethoscopes of their collec-Fig. '7 illustrates another Way in which the 30 tion are usuallymisplaced or at least not Within present instrument can be used. 30 easyreach. Moreover, the acquisitions of sev- Referring to the drawing andmore partioularIy eral stethoscopes involves considerable cost. t0 Figs.1, 2 and 4, the'StethOSCOpiC instrument stethoscopes have also madetheir appearance COHSSS in the present instance Of a bell bOdLV on themarket which come with interchangeable piece l0 hereafter Called bellpiece, and two 35 body pieces, but they have not mitigated the diaphragmbody pieCeS l2 end I4, hereafter 35 frequent confusion and inconvenienceexperi- Called diaphragm peCeS- The Connecting end enced by physicianswhen trying to find or reach I6 of any conventional ear tubes (notshown) for the proper body piece. It is also disturbing iS applied t0 aShank I8 0f the bell piece lll and to a. physician to replace one bodypiece with is preferably removably Secured thereon by i0 another in themiddle of an examination. means of the pin and bayOnet COImeCtiOn 20, 2240 It is the primary aim and object of the presshown in Figs. 1 and 2.ent invention to provide a stethoscopical instru- The lJell pieCe l0 hasa fluStO-Conioal Soundment which comprises body pieces of Severalcollecting space or cavity 24 which communicates forms and sizes thatcan be readily removed in Wlththe ear tubes through a Sound pm sage 26'5 any number in order to have a particular body Carned by the bien plece'u and prolectmg into 45 piece available for an examination After theai? 'enlarged porglm 28 of the Sound passage 25 t ereof is a pin whichis adapted to cooperate a 1 a e al i0 the instrument in onemanipulation. Sma er or 1n ermedm e lap lragm place 2 so 0 It is also anObject of the present invention as to retain the latter on the bellpiece Ill. 5

1 The diaphragm piece I2 is of the cross-secto construct the instrument1n a manner that tional Shape best illustrated in Fig 2 and is pr0 all.but one. of the body pieces thereof conceal vided with an annularrecess 36 in which is suittheir true 1dent1ty as Such and merely appearably secured, as by cementing, a soft rubber ring 5 as awel] shaped andconveniently accessible han- 38 on which the vbell piece I becomes rmly55 seated when its pin 30 is locked in the bayonet slot 32. Thediaphragm piece I2 is also provided with a concave sound-collectingspace or cavity 42 and a sound passage 40 which provides communicationbetween said sound-collecting cavity 42 and the sound passage 26 of thebell piece IIJ in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. The sound passage4I) consists of a through-bore 44 which is disposed coaxially of thesound passage of the bell piece, and a transverse bore 45. Secured tothe open end of the sound-collecting cavity 42 of the diaphragm piece I2by means of a threaded retainer ring 48 is a diaphragm 58 which may bemade of any suitable material such as mica. Rotatably mounted in thebore 44 of the diaphragm piece I2 is a sleeve valve 52, having anopening 54 in its in alignment with the bore 46. Axial removal of thesleeve valve 52 from the bore 44 ls prevented by chamfering one end ofsaid bore as at 5E and by providing the adjacent end of the sleeve valve52 with a crimp 58 which seats against the chamfered end 5B of the bore44. The sleeve valve 52 is also provided with a knurled disc 60 by meansof which it may be rotated. The disc 6D carries a pin G2 which projectsinto an arcuate groove 64 in the face BE of the diaphragm piece I2,whereby rotation of the sleeve valve 52 is limited from an angularposition in which its opening 54 is completely out of communication withthe bore 46 into a position in which said opening is completely incommunication with said bore.

The next diaphragm piece I4 comprises a niember 10, having an annularrim 'I2 which passes over the retainer ring 48 of the intermediatediaphragm piece I2 at a sliding t. The member 'I0 is also provided witha concave soundcollecting space or cavity 14, to the open end 'I5 ofwhich is secured a diaphragm 'I6 by means of an externally knurled andinternally threaded reu t-ainer ring 'I8 (see Fig. 2). The member 'I3 isfurther provided with a tubular extension Sil which is in communicationwith the sound-collecting cavity 'I4 and is threadedly received at 82 inthe bore 46 of the intermediate diaphragm' piece I2. rIhe tubularextension 8D thereby extends through a central aperture 84 in thediaphragm 50. To reenforce the centrally apertured portion of thediaphragm 5I), a preferably metallic ferrule B6 is applied to thediaphragm in the manner shown in Fig. 2. The member Il of the diaphragmpiece I4 is also provided with an annular recess 88 in which is suitablysecured as by cementing, a soft rubber ring 9i) on which the retainerring 48 of the intermediate diaphragm piece I2 becomes firmly seatedwhen the other diaphragm piece I4 is applied thereto.

The bell piece ID as well as the diaphragm I2 and I4 are preferably madeof a light metal, such as aluminum, and chromium-plated.

1f the physician desires to examine large areas of the human body, hewill use the diaphragm piece I4, i. e., he will use the instrumentassembled as shown in Fig. 4. If an examination calls for a smallerdiaphragm piece, the physician merely removes the larger diaphragm pieceI4 by unscrewing the same from the smaller diaphragm piece I2. Thephysician then uses the assembled instrument shown in Fig. 5. Finally,if an eX- amination calls for a bell piece, the physician will removethe smaller diaphragm piece I2 merely by twisting the same suiciently topermit withdrawal of the pin from the bayonet slot 32 and then use theinstrument in the manner shown in annular wall Fig. 6. If theexamination calls immediately for a bell piece, the physician need notremove the larger diaphragm piece I `I from the smaller diaphragm pieceI2, but removes both of them from the bell piece itl in onemanipulation, i. e., by merely removing the bell piece ID from theassembled diaphragm pieces. I2 and I4. The replacement of any one of theremoved body pieces on the instrument is equally as facile as thedescribed removal thereirom. With the present instrument, a physicianhas also the choice to use only the two diaphragm pieces I2 and I4 (Fig.7) on removing the bell body piece Il! therefrom and applying the eartubes to the shank 34 or" the smaller diaphragm piece l2. It is for thisreason ydat the shank CM is ci the same outside diameter as the .j ankill ci the bell piece ID so that the conne g end lt oi one and the saineear tubes may be applied to either' shank (Figs. 2 and 7). The bayonetslots til and in the bell piece I0 and the smaller diaphragm piece I2are made identical so that the pin Ml of the connecting end iii oi theear 'tubes also cooperate with thc bevo slot and lock the ear tubes tothe smaller diaphragm piece I2 when the instrument o is used in themanner shown in Fig. 7. Also, as long anv one ci the diaphragm pieces I2or I4 is used, the volume or the transmitter sound may be regulated bymeans oi the sleeve valve 52.

It ripper f' from Fig. 2 `that the various body pieces ci the`instrument are all in series communication with each other so that eachbody piece transmits sound as long as it is assembled in the instrument.It is this series communication of the body pieces lil, I2 and I4 whichmade it possible to give the instrument the neat appearance andpractical shape which is particularly evident irom Fig. 4. Thus, thebell piece ID and part of the smaller diaphragm piece I2 form aconvenient and easily accessible handle for the instrument when eitherof the two diaphragm pieces l2 or lil is used. The bell piece ID and thehandle-forming part of the smaller diaphragm piece l2 are, moreover,sufficiently removed irom the application surfaces oi the diaphragmpieces I2 and I4 so as not to interfere in the least with theapplication of either diaphragm piece. The smaller diaphragm piece I?.still affords a very convenient grip even when the instrument is used inthe manner shown in Fig. T.

I claim:

l. A stethoscopic instrument having in cornbination ear tu es and aplurality ci interconnected body pieces, said pieces including a bellpiece connected at one end to the ear tubes and provide-:1 at itsopposite end with a flared recessed portion, an intermediate piecehaving a shank projecting into the bell piece and a shoulder abuttingsaid dared portion, said pieces having substantially horizontallydisposed coaxial sound conduits therein, means for detachably connectingsaid shank to the bell piece, said intermediate piece having a normallyextending portion provided at its outer with a cavity, said extendingportion having a substantially vertical sound passage communicating withthe conduit in said intermediate piece. and an end piece having atubular portion extending into said passage, means detachably connectingthe tubular portion to the intermediate piece, said end piece having arecessed cuter portion, a diaphragm closing said recessed portion, andmeans connecting said diaphragm to the end piece, said pieces beingnormally connected together to provide a unitary assembly, and beingconstructed and arranged so that when the end piece is removed, theadjacent piece constitutes the end piece for collecting and transmittingsounds to the ear tubes.

A stethoscopic instrument having in combination ear tubes and aplurality of interconnected body pieces, said pieces including a bellpiece connected at one end to the ear tubes and provided at its oppositeend with a iiared recessed portion, an intermediate piece having a shankprojecting into the bell piece and a shoulder abutting said flaredportion, said pieces having substantially horizontally disposed coaxialsound conduits therein, means for detachably connecting said shank tothe bell piece, said intermediate piece having a normally extendingportion provided at its outer end with a cavity, said extending portionhaving a substantially vertical sound passage communicating With theconduit in said intermediate piece, an apertured diaphragm connected tosaid depending portion, an end piece having a tubular portion extendingthrough said apertured diaphragm into said passage, means detachablyconnecting the tubular portion to the intermediate piece, said end piecehaving a recessed outer portion, a diaphragm closing said recessedportion, and ineans for connecting said last-mentioned to the end piece,and a sleeve valve rotatably mounted in the conduit in the intermediatepiece, said sleeve valve having an opening adapted to be moved into andout of registration with said passage, said sleeve valve also having ahandle projecting beyond the end of said inter'. Aediate piece foractuating the valve to control the sound passing from the passage to theconduit, said pieees being normally connected together to provide aunitary assembly, and being constructed and arranged so that when theend piece is. removed, the adjacent piece constitutes the end piece forcollecting and transmitting sounds to the ear tubes.

JAMES J. TYNAN.

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